The airway is constantly challenged by inhaled microbial pathogens. Understanding the regulation of respiratory innate immunity is critical to elucidating how pathogens evade these mechanisms during infection. Future research on taste receptors in the airway has tremendous potential to identify immune mechanisms involved in host-pathogen interactions and thus reveal novel therapeutic targets. Bitter and sweet receptors in specialized sinonasal solitary chemosensory cells control antimicrobial peptide secretion, which may have important implications for airway infections in CRS patients as well as patients with diabetes mellitus. Polymorphisms that underlie T2R38 functionality also appear to be involved in susceptibility to upper respiratory infection and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). The T2R38 bitter taste receptor in sinonasal cilia detects bitter bacterial quorum-sensing molecules and activates nitric oxide-dependent innate immune responses. This review focuses on the role of bitter and sweet taste receptors in human airway innate immunity and the potential clinical relevance to airway infections. The functions of many of these so-called extraoral taste receptors remain unknown, but emerging basic science and clinical evidence suggests that bitter and sweet taste receptors in the airway are important in sensing bacteria and regulating innate immunity. However, recent research has now shown that taste receptors are also expressed far beyond the tongue, from the airway and gastrointestinal epithelia to the pancreas and brain. I rarely choose to listen to songs of this style on their own, but there’s no doubt that Bittersweet is a successful effort.Taste receptors on the tongue communicate information to the brain about the nutrient content or potential toxicity of ingested foods. And at just under three minutes, the track fades out before becoming too monotonous. The various textures of their voices blend well with the simple, guitar-led instrumental. Much of the melody is phrased like you’d expect from a rap song, but I love that they chose to sing it instead. All three performers operate in moody territory, imbuing Bittersweet with plenty of atmosphere. Bringing Lee Hi in for guest vocals gives the track added indie cred, but it’s a testament to Wonwoo and Mingyu’s skills that she doesn’t overshadow them. This is a lovely song that reinvents two of Seventeen’s rappers as vocalists. So, forgive me if my review is as subdued as Bittersweet itself. For me, there’s just a limit to how high I could score a song of this nature. Bittersweet isn’t meant to be a big, bombastic comeback, so when I rate it on the lower side, that doesn’t mean it’s “bad” or fails to obtain its objective. I just use this word to describe the level at which a song is targeting. This doesn’t have anything to do with minor versus major key. In my mind, I consider a track like this to be a ‘minor’ release.
But while the song boasts a powerhouse line-up, its ambitions are relatively small. Now, members Wonwoo and Mingyu have teamed up with Lee Hi for the release of Bittersweet. In April, Hoshi and The8 each delivered a solo track.
Prior to the release of their new mini album next month, the members of Seventeen have embarked upon several offshoot projects.